24 MARTIN RATTLER.

faction of Aunt Dorothy Grumbit, who objected to all
fighting from principle, and frequently asserted, in
gentle tones, that there should be no soldiers or
sailors (fighting sailors, she meant) at all, but that
people ought all to settle everything the best way
they could without fighting, and live peaceably with
one another, as the Bible told them to do. They
would be far happier and better off, she was sure of
that; and if everybody was of her way of thinking,
there would be neither swords, nor guns, nor pistols,
nor squibs, nor anything else at all! Dear old lady !
It would indeed be a blessing if her principles could
be carried out in this warring and jarring world.
But as this is rather difficult, what we ought to be
careful about is, that we never fight except in a good
cause and with a clear conscience.

It was well for Martin Rattler, on that great day,
that the formation of the ground favoured him. The
spot on which the fight took place was uneven, and
covered with little hillocks and hollows, over which
Bob Croaker stumbled and into which he fell—being
a clumsy boy on his legs—and did himself consider-
able damage; while Martin, who was firmly knit and
active as a kitten, scarcely ever fell, or, if he did,
sprang up again like an indiarubber ball. Fair play

was embedded deep in the centre of Martin’s heart,